The Overlord of the Red Mansion

Jia Rong forgot about yesterday's events after taking a nap.

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, Jia Rong returned from the medicinal herb field.

In his spare time, Jia Rong would cultivate endangered medicinal herbs in the herb garden and also read books to learn about the appearance and effects of various exotic flowers and plants.

As an emperor who always finds trouble, Jia Rong was not interested in politics, but preferred to train a group of explorers to go on sea adventures and record various local customs and traditions to bring back to the emperor.

Jia Rong has collected a lot of specimens, from various wild animals to exotic flowers and plants.

I'm basically busy from morning till night every day, and only occasionally get a break to relax.

After returning to the Hundred Herbs Palace, Jia Rong began to take off his clothes to prepare for a bath.

Besides the palace maids who helped him undress, there was also a female official standing nearby who came to report news when Jia Rong had a moment to spare.

Jia Rong disliked having others around, and after each time he played with a woman, he would abstain from sex for a few days. During this time, he would sleep alone and did not need anyone to serve him.

There are always a few Sundays in a month.

Even on normal days, Jia Rong doesn't like anyone getting in his way when he's reading or doing things.

The palace maids had very little time to serve Jia Rong, and the female officials also had very few opportunities to speak.

"Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has specially selected a beautiful and talented woman from among the beauties of Jinling, with a graceful figure. The Empress of the Holy Palace has sent her over, hoping that Your Majesty will like her."

Upon hearing this, Jia Rong became slightly interested and said, "Then let her come over."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The female official quickly ordered preparations to be made.

Jia Rong didn't wait for anyone and went straight to take a bath.

There are many places to take a bath, but Jia Rong's private bathing area is for his personal use only.

Soon Jia Rong was sitting in a large bath of 20 square meters that could accommodate more than 20 people, with ten beautiful women standing in the pool to serve him.

There are special iron pipes in the pool for heating and temperature control. These pipes have been separated by special bamboo baskets to prevent palace maids from accidentally touching them and getting burned.

Just as she was taking a relaxing bath, two palace maids led in a young girl wearing only a sexy short skirt.

"Greetings, Your Majesty! Long live the Holy Emperor!"

"Be flat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

When Jia Rong took a bath, he always faced the door. The underwater steps he was sitting on were at a reasonable height, and more importantly, the pool was only five centimeters higher than the ground, so he could see what was happening outside while sitting.

This way, no one will sneak up on you while you're taking a shower.

Jia Rong wasn't particularly wary of assassins, but ever since he devised the unhealthy kneeling posture to prevent assassins from carrying weapons, the defensive awareness within the palace has evolved from the long-legged duck sitting posture with chest out and head held high to all aspects of defense.

Safety must be considered in both construction and daily life. In addition, the emergence of sharpshooter Zuo Luo two years ago and the endless remnants of the Third Division have led to a continuous upgrade in security measures.

They weren't short of money; Jia Rong's money was enough for the Holy Dynasty to live on for a hundred years.

Jia Rong looked at the young girl. She had no clothes to hide her weapons. Both her body and the fabric beneath her body were almost transparent. Her young and innocent face was raised with a restrained and nervous expression.

Perhaps she hadn't expected that Jia Rong would be in a lower position than her during their first meeting, which made her unsure where to look, whether to raise her head or lower it.

Jia Rong asked, "How old are you?"

The girl nervously replied, "Your Majesty, I am sixteen years old this year. I am the daughter of the Ye family in Jinling, and my given name is Hanxue."

Seeing this, Jia Rong sighed and said, "I will be thirty-seven years old next year, more than twenty years older than you. You are still young. Why did the Crown Prince choose you to enter the palace?"

The nearby female officials became nervous, fearing that the young girl might say something wrong.

This involves the Crown Prince and the Emperor, and it seems the Emperor is very dissatisfied with the Crown Prince's actions.

Ye Hanxue quickly said, "My family signed up for the selection. Because of my clean background, my father is the local salt transport commissioner, my mother has been a volunteer at the Holy Church for four years, my brother is a civil servant in the capital, and because of... my large breasts... I was selected."

Jia Rong frankly said, "I don't like big breasts. Just having big breasts is useless. The shape must be perfect, and the face and figure must also be acceptable. You are too short."

Hearing the truth, Ye Hanxue lowered her head in fear and begged for mercy, "This servant deserves to die, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Jia Rong smiled and said, "I don't mean to blame you. Just enjoy yourself in the palace these few days. We'll go back by carriage after the New Year. I'm getting old, almost forty. You're still young. Young people should be with young people; that's what makes a perfect couple."

Ye Hanxue breathed a sigh of relief and said gratefully, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! I have heard my mother say since I was a child that Your Majesty governs the world with a holy heart, is kind and benevolent, reduces taxes and levies, so that all people can live and work in peace and contentment, opens up channels for advice, accepts suggestions readily, and allows talented people to give full play to their abilities."

"You care for the people's suffering, provide disaster relief and help those in need. Whenever there is drought, flood or famine, you reduce meals and entertainment, open the granaries and distribute grain. The people are grateful for your kindness and feel as if they are bathed in a spring breeze."

"Your Majesty is cautious in administering punishments and showing compassion in prisons. He is discerning in every detail. Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, he personally reviews the case files to ensure that the innocent are exonerated. The world praises you as a reincarnation of Yao and Shun."

"Furthermore, he valued literature and education, promoted schools and nurtured talent, established the imperial examination system to select scholars from humble backgrounds, and compiled classics to promote civilization. Throughout the land, scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants all praised his wise rule, saying, 'How fortunate we are to be born in such a prosperous age and to have such a wise ruler!'"

“Since childhood, I have longed for Your Majesty. I am willing to serve Your Majesty with my humble status and bear children for you. This is the duty of us women, and it is never too late.”

Jia Rong laughed and said, "It doesn't matter who taught you to say that. You still have a long life ahead of you. The outside world is so vast. You don't need to confine yourself to this small palace."

"Send her to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to stay for a few days, and let her go back after the New Year. From now on, she should not accept any gifts other than those from the princes of the court, and she should not be selected as a concubine again."

"The Crown Prince can select his own concubines, get married and have children as soon as possible. My harem is already sufficient."

"Have Yuanchun call Baoqin and ask her. If she's willing to come back, then she can; if not, then forget it."

Jia Rong waved his hand, and someone helped Ye Hanxue leave the bath.

Ye Hanxue, who was not favored by Jia Rong, could only leave Baicao Palace in disappointment.

Outside the Hundred Herbs Palace, Jia Yuanchun's palace maid, Qin Yun, was waiting.

When Qin Yun saw Ye Hanxue coming out wearing a thick coat, she knew she had messed things up.

"What's going on? Doesn't His Majesty like it?"

Ye Hanxue said with shame, "His Majesty said I am too short and too young, and he doesn't want to hold me back."

Qin Yun frowned. "Tell me in detail what His Majesty said on the train!"

Ye Hanxue dared not offend the Empress's maid, so after getting into the car, she told Qin Yun everything that had just happened.

Qin Yun took Ye Hanxue to Nuanxiang Palace, where Ye Hanxue repeated herself under the watchful eyes of all the empresses and noble consorts.

Wang Xifeng smiled upon hearing this.

"His Majesty has never liked children who are too young. Why hasn't anyone told the Crown Prince about this?"

Jia Yuanchun took the blame herself, saying, "I forgot about this matter. I only asked the Crown Prince to find some beauties and forgot about this."

Lin Daiyu then realized, "This is the first time I've heard of this either. Thinking about it carefully, I realized that Yuanyang, Ping'er, Qingwen, and Yinglian are all like this." Xue Baochai retorted irritably, "Aren't you the same?"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "That's true! No wonder the Crown Prince doesn't know; even many people here don't know!"

Wang Xifeng looked at the happy group and a relaxed smile appeared on her face.

"Since His Majesty doesn't want to accept any more, let's not worry about it. The gifts from a few princes will definitely be enough. There are thousands of beauties in the palace now, and with the students entering the palace every year, there are tens of thousands of people. How could that not be enough for His Majesty?"

Jia Yuanchun nodded and walked over. "I'll call the Crown Prince and ask Madam and Baoqin to come over together."

The rest of the people joined in to watch the spectacle.

Now that Jia Rong has made it clear that he will no longer participate in the talent show, it is a good thing for all the women in the Warm Fragrance Palace.

People like Lin Daiyu, who were only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old and at the prime of their fertility, were all willing to go and receive Jia Rong's care.

The palace had technical schools, as well as schools of women's virtue and medical schools. Various noble ladies and young women came to the palace to serve the emperor. In addition, there were annual tributes from princes from all over the country, so there was no shortage of beautiful women.

Not long after, Madam Wang and Baoqin came together to celebrate the New Year.

Xue Ke's wife and daughter, the Wang family's son's wife and children, and the Shi family all came to celebrate the New Year together.

After the lively greetings and a meal, the unrelated personnel went to stay outside the palace and did not stay overnight.

On the first day of the first month of the tenth year of the Holy Dynasty, Jia Rong, as was customary, went to each palace to celebrate.

On the first day of the lunar new year, Lady Wang would visit Jia Yuanchun's Yangxin Palace. Every year at this time, Lady Wang would go to the Jia family's old residence to avoid trouble.

The old house used to be a place for children to play, but now they are all teenagers. Some of them have been sent to study all over the country, leaving only some children behind.

I went to Nuanxiang Palace in the second year of junior high school.

Jia Rong sat down on the warm bed in the main hall of the Warm Fragrance Palace, with Lin Daiyu on his left and Xue Baochai on his right.

The children had long been sent out to play, and there were palace maids guarding the outside.

The room was warm and cozy, and we were dressed lightly.

Just as the group was having a good time, a noblewoman walked in wearing an elegant cheongsam, a white scarf around her neck, and a phoenix crown with pearl hairpins.

When Jia Tanchun saw Wang Xifeng approaching, she smiled and said, "Sister Feng, you're here! Wasn't I supposed to go see you the day after tomorrow? Why are you so impatient?"

Wang Xifeng smiled broadly, "Ling'er and Qiao'er have gone out to play. I'm so lonely all alone in the palace, so I came over to liven things up. I won't compete with you for food, so please be kind to me, sisters~"

Jia Tanchun rolled her eyes at her, "Look at your mouth! Why aren't you going over there to pay your respects to the Emperor!"

Wang Xifeng smiled and walked towards Jia Rong, knelt on the ground and kowtowed three times, then moved her knees and spread her legs, placed her hands behind her, knelt on the ground in an M-shape, and looked up at Jia Rong.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects and wish you a long and prosperous life! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!!"

Jia Rong casually said, "Rise, please have a seat."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Wang Xifeng stood up happily. "Your Majesty, we should kowtow three times normally, otherwise it doesn't seem dignified enough."

Ping'er and Feng'er brought chairs for Wang Xifeng to sit down.

Jia Rong said irritably, "Don't give me any random advice. You've been doing nothing but kowtowing all day."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Yes, Your Majesty is right."

Xue Baochai changed the subject, "The palace is much more lively this year. The children are growing up so fast. After the Crown Prince gets married this year, they might start having grandchildren one after another next year."

Aunt Xue was also there. She sighed and said, "Yes, Xue Ke brought his child over on the 30th. If my son were still alive, I would be holding my grandson now."

Xue Baochai was surprised that her mother was so tactless, so she quickly changed the subject, saying, "This time, people from the Jia, Xue, Wang, and Shi families all came. The second daughter of the Shi family also has a child. Our four great families have all expanded their branches and branches."

Jia Rong asked curiously, "Do Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding and Marquis Baoling Shi Nai also have grandchildren? I remember when I went to the brothel to rescue people, Aunt Shi and Miss Shi were both working as prostitutes there. The Shi family mother and daughter often worked together."

Everyone:...

When the Shi family's property was confiscated, the female members were indeed sent to brothels, and it was Jia Rong who rescued them.

Shi Xiangyun, who is usually cheerful, was so embarrassed that she couldn't say a word.

Wang Xifeng was also in an awkward position at this moment, even more so than Shi Xiangyun.

Lin Daiyu reached out and touched Jia Rong's leg. "Your Majesty, why bring up such old and trivial matters during the New Year?"

Jia Rong laughed and said, "I don't care about those things. The Jia family has had a lot of trouble over the years. Jia Lian even had an affair with Jia She's concubine back then. I was afraid that my reputation would be affected if the affair was exposed, so I persuaded Jia She to give a woman to Jia Lian."

“I know that Jia Baoyu was joking and kissing with his mother and maids. Xiren, Sheyue and Bihen were all unwanted by Jia Baoyu, but I still kept them.”

"There's nothing wrong with being innocent. That's what I expect of the women and daughters in my family too. But life goes on. If something happens, don't think too much about it, and certainly don't try to kill yourself."

"However, I still admire the woman who committed suicide to clear her name after her home was confiscated. I can't bear to think of the poor women who were killed and harmed in those years."

With women on his left and right, Jia Rong sighed, "So over the years, when I've encountered some people who deserve to die, even the most wicked and evil ones, I've only killed the ringleader."

“Even those treacherous traitors like Zongzheng, I spared those poor women.”

When everyone heard Jia Rong say these things, they all felt that it was a genuine expression of his feelings.

Li Wan praised, "His Majesty is kind and benevolent, which is why Heaven hopes that His Majesty will live a long and healthy life. Now we are all old, but His Majesty is still so young, almost the same as he was twenty years ago."

Wang Xifeng asked curiously, "Has His Majesty concocted some kind of miraculous elixir? Can it grant eternal youth?"

Jia Rong grinned mischievously and said, "If I had taken some divine elixir, how come you all, bathed in my holy grace every day, have no effect at all? Come here, give me a kiss~ I'll give you some of my divine water to taste!"

Jia Rong tilted his head and tried to kiss Lin Daiyu, but Lin Daiyu shyly turned her head away.

Jia Rong turned his head directly to look at Xue Baochai, and Xue Baochai immediately opened her mouth to greet him.

Jia Rong had long since lost interest in Lin Daiyu, and his attitude towards the woman who always rejected him only grew colder.

Everyone watched Jia Rong and Xue Baochai being affectionate, including Lin Daiyu.

Although she wore a nonchalant smile, she was actually very upset and jealous inside.

Soon Jia Rong kissed Lin Daiyu again, even though she was throwing a tantrum and tried to avoid him, but Jia Rong wasn't without strength.

Even a saint is without fault; no concubine would dare accuse Jia Rong of forcing a concubine to have sexual relations during their marriage.

In this era, anyone who dares to voice such opinions will only be seen as possessed by evil spirits and deserve to be beaten.

After visiting several more palaces, Jia Rong suddenly felt very empty after completing the tour.

Jia Rong suddenly remembered that he no longer wanted to be emperor. (End of Chapter)